Jakarta, hitclubapk3 Indonesia
—
Japan
is facing a surge in cases of misuse of vaping liquids containing sedatives known as ‘zombie cigarettes’, especially in the southern region of the country.
Local authorities warn of the potential spread of this phenomenon throughout the country as the number of cases involving teenagers increases.
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As of the end of September 2025, 10 people, mostly teenagers and young adults, were arrested in Okinawa Prefecture for possession of etomidate, a sedative used for induction of anesthesia in medical procedures outside Japan.
As reported
South China Morning Post
On Sunday (16/11), the Japanese government designated etomidate as a prohibited narcotic starting May 2025.
In October 2025, local police arrested Yuto Agarie, suspected of being the leader of a drug trafficking syndicate, for storing 63.84 grams of liquid containing etomidate at his home in Urasoe for sale.
Police also suspect that the group is the main supplier of zombie cigarettes in Okinawa.
Etomidate abuse can cause loss of consciousness, loss of body control, and seizures in the hands and feet.The Japanese government has banned the use, possession and import of this substance.
According to investigative sources, the vape liquid was sold through messaging applications and spread via social media.Etomidate is usually smoked through an e-cigarette device in liquid form with various flavors.
In August and September 2025, three Chinese nationals in their 20s living around Tokyo were arrested for smuggling around 100 grams of etomidate from India via Singapore.
The Narcotics Control Department of the Japanese Ministry of Health suspects they converted etomidate powder into liquid form, packaged it in cartridges, and sold it directly in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) previously reported that etomidate and its derivatives were increasingly found on the drug black market in East and Southeast Asia, including China.
“We initially thought its distribution was only local to Japan, but investigations showed that a market for etomidate was starting to emerge in this country,” said a source in the investigation.
The Japanese government is now increasing supervision to prevent the expansion of the abuse of zombie cigarettes, which it fears could trigger a new narcotics crisis in Japan.
(lyd/end)
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